Humidity, or water vapor in air, is often undesired in an environment. Generally, humidity may interfere with the storage of sensitive materials or the operation of delicate equipment within the environment. Methods exist for dehumidifying an environment, however, typically known dehumidification methods are bulky and ill-suited for operation in confined or limited spaces.
One such known method for dehumidifying an environment comprises the use of mechanical refrigeration equipment. In this type of dehumidification process, air is cooled to a predetermined temperature, below its dew point, where water vapor condenses out of the air and may be drained away. Thereafter, air may be reheated to a predetermined warmer temperature. Although this type of dehumidification method may be effective in use, such a method requires a compressor, fans for both hot and cold coils, and a plumbing system for collecting and separating liquid water from the air stream. Of course, all of these components are bulky.
Humidity may also be reduced by exposing air to a sorbent material, such as silica gel for example. In continuously operating systems, such a sorbent material would be cycled between sorption of water from the controlled environment and desorption of water by exposure to external heat in another atmosphere. However, this requires a supporting control system comprised of valves and fans, for example, to cycle the material between two states. Such a supporting control system is also bulky.
It is also known that humidity may be reduced by exposing air to a cooled water solution of a deliquescent solution, such as a solution of lithium chloride. At a predetermined cooled temperature, such a solution absorbs moisture from air. Thereafter, the solution can be cycled between this sorption stage and a desorption stage, wherein heated solution is exposed to another atmosphere. Solution cycling may be accomplished by mechanically pumping the solution around a fluid circuit comprising: 1) a spray or contractor tower region, wherein cool solution that is exposed to a volume of environmental air absorbs moisture from it; 2) a heat exchange region, wherein the solution is heated; 3) another spray or contacton tower region, wherein the warm solution that is exposed to a volume of external air desorbs moisture to it; and 4) another heat exchange region wherein the solution is cooled. However, in addition to a refrigeration system, this type of dehumidification method requires a pumping system to circulate the solution past the two air contacting regions of the circuit. Moreover, because the liquid solution directly contacts the air, a regulation system is required to confine the solution to the system, and to prevent its loss. A suitable regulation system may comprise open containers having liquid level sensing controls. In addition to the foregoing shortcomings, direct contact with air allows particulate contaminants from the air to enter and foul the solution. As may be appreciated, these shortcomings severely limit dehumidification operations by deliquescent solution.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present apparatus for dehumidifying an environment. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an improved dehumidifier directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.